Pope Leo XIV is confronting his first major crisis with traditionalist Catholics as the breakaway Society of St Pius X (SSPX) has announced plans to consecrate new bishops without papal consent, threatening a revival of schism. The Swiss-based group, which operates schools, chapels, and seminaries globally, has been a persistent challenge for the Holy See for four decades, stemming from its opposition to the modernising reforms of the Second Vatican Council.
In 1988, the group’s founder, Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, consecrated four bishops without papal approval, asserting it was vital for preserving church tradition. The Vatican swiftly excommunicated Lefebvre and the four bishops, and the SSPX continues to hold no legal status within the Catholic Church. Under church law, consecrating bishops without papal consent incurs automatic excommunication for both the consecrator and the purported new bishop.
The SSPX stated on Monday that it felt compelled to proceed with consecrations on 1 July to safeguard the society’s future. The Rev Davide Pagliarani, the SSPX superior general, confirmed he had written to Pope Leo XIV explaining the necessity for new bishops “to ensure the continuation of the ministry of its bishops, who have been travelling the world for nearly 40 years to respond to the many faithful attached to the tradition of the church.” The SSPX added that it had received a reply from the Vatican “which does not in any way respond to our requests”.
Vatican spokesperson Matto Bruni suggested on Tuesday that negotiations remained open. “Contacts between the Society of Saint Pius X and the Holy See continue, with the aim of avoiding rifts or unilateral solutions to the issues that have arisen,” Mr Bruni said in a statement. Pope Leo XIV has acknowledged tensions, seeking to pacify the debate by expressing openness to dialogue and permitting exceptions to his predecessor’s crackdown on the traditional Latin Mass.
